Steps to Identify the **REAL** Adsense CPC... [A Must Read For Adsense Publishers]

by IM Ash
62 replies
  • SEO
  • |
Many of us make the mistake of judging potential adsense earnings by looking at the CPC that is provided in Google's keyword tool (GWT). This is a mistake as that value is the amount that advertisers are bidding on for ads on the search network and not the display/content network.

Unfortunately for some the reality of the real CPC is only experienced after they have done all the hard work of developing, optimizing and promoting their site. It can be extremely disappointing when you expect to receive $5 clicks and all you get is a measly $0.20.

But Google has a tool that can help you judge more precisely what you can earn for a click on an ad on your site.

Typically, people type in a keyword in the keyword tool and they then determine the approximate earnings for that particular keyword from the approximate CPC that is given. This process can be seeing below:




It is easy to make the mistake of believing that you can get 68% of the $47.54 for the keyword insurance quotes online. I know I made this mistake in the beginning but if you look at the top left hand corner of the screenshot you will see a tab labelled "Contextual Targeting Tool". If you click on that tab you will be directed to a tool that provides information that is invaluabe to adsense publishers.

The tool actually provides the suggested bid for a keyword or keyword group, and that bid is specifically for ads that are displayed on the content network i.e. your website. See screenshot below:





As you can see from the screenshot above I typed in the same keyword that I used in the previous screenshot (insurance quotes online). This tool then provides a suggested bid for that keyword and related keywords.

The suggested bid in this example is $3.05... WTH! That is a huge difference from the $47.54 that the standard keyword tool provided. In reality: if you target the keyword "insurance quotes online" as an adsense publisher you can expect 68% of the $3.05 as your highest EPC. Of course some advertisers will bid less and others may bid more and that will cause a fluctuation in the CPC. Competitive factors play an extensive role in determining your actual EPC.

The "Contextual Targeting Tool" is a fantastic mechanism for you to check the REAL CPC for a specific keyword, and it can help you assess your potential earnings with a greater level of precision.

This is a great tool guys, and it can really help us make a more informed decision when researching adsense targeted keywords.

Keep in mind: not everything is black and white in the adsense world... there are various factors that influence your earnings. Here is a video to help you understand why there are fluctuations in your adsense earnings....




#adsense #cpc #identify #real #steps
  • Profile picture of the author Vlad Bacioiu
    Thanks a lot for your post but I can't see the photos. You're right. I found few keywords with cpc more than $ 100 but I do not think I will receive 100 bucks /click
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  • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
    That's pretty cool. Is this relatively new (I see it's in beta still)? Either way, it seems about right from the EPC I've seem come in for a few websites that I'm working on currently.

    Thanks for the share man!
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

      That's pretty cool. Is this relatively new (I see it's in beta still)? Either way, it seems about right from the EPC I've seem come in for a few websites that I'm working on currently.

      Thanks for the share man!
      No problem! Yeah, it's new and it is as accurate as you can get. This tool will certainly help us get a more precise idea of the potential EPC.

      @Paul
      The only time a publisher gets a high paying click is when there is a new Adwords advertiser in the fold who bids blindly, but these guys don't last long

      The tool is accurate - I've tested its accuracy with my own adsense sites and it proves to provide a fairly accurate value on the amount advertisers are bidding for ads on the display/content network.
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      • Profile picture of the author seomaker24
        Many Many Thanks For Your Great Share.
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        • Profile picture of the author scott g
          My rule of thumb was to divide the CPC by 2 and keep your fingers crossed !! Talking about $2.5-$6 terms.

          On old sites I noticed that after they aged 6+ months the CPC's increased pretty substantially... Anyone else experience this?! Or am I just trying to put two-and-two together to make something?!

          CHEERS!
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          scott g
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          • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
            Originally Posted by scott g View Post

            My rule of thumb was to divide the CPC by 2 and keep your fingers crossed !! Talking about $2.5-$6 terms.

            On old sites I noticed that after they aged 6+ months the CPC's increased pretty substantially... Anyone else experience this?! Or am I just trying to put two-and-two together to make something?!
            @Scott

            My CPC has been fairly stable over time, but keep in mind that you will receive a greater return for clicks on the ad unit that appears first in your code, and as time goes by your traffic will increase and that results in a greater liklihood of people clicking ads that are higher up.

            Secondly, the quality of the ads will affect the CTR, if the ads in your first unit are not attractive then people will not click on them.
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            • Profile picture of the author InTheMaking
              So once you take the 47 and turn it into 3 you still take 68% of the 3.00? thats awful lol but realistic, thanks!
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              • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
                Originally Posted by InTheMaking View Post

                So once you take the 47 and turn it into 3 you still take 68% of the 3.00? thats awful lol but realistic, thanks!
                Yes that's right - Google pays 68% to adsense publishers from the CPC that is paid by an advertiser for ads running on the content network.
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                • Profile picture of the author InTheMaking
                  Originally Posted by Eleva8 View Post

                  Yes that's right - Google pays 68% to adsense publishers from the CPC that is paid by an advertiser for ads running on the content network.
                  they take a pretty big chunk lol

                  it should be like 85% of anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author nokimchen
    i cant see the photo either
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      The $47 click quickly becoming $3 (or less) is something I've
      been preaching to the people who keep creating a frenzy with
      their so-called high paying keyword lists. They don't
      have a clue. People swallow the line, then come here and claim
      google is ripping them off or something.

      Whatever I think of the tool is no matter. The bottom line, is
      if your scenario is true, it's closer to the truth.

      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Banks
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        The $47 click quickly becoming $3 (or less) is something I've
        been preaching to the people who keep creating a frenzy with
        their so-called high paying keyword lists. They don't
        have a clue. People swallow the line, then come here and claim
        google is ripping them off or something.

        Whatever I think of the tool is no matter. The bottom line, is
        if your scenario is true, it's closer to the truth.

        Paul
        Paul you are dead on! My first sites were made for "high paying keywords" these $20 ads were paying closer to $1. The tool is made for ADVERTISERS to tell them how much they should pay, and google takes a cut, then pays out a cut. Also google suggests they bid $10, but most will only bid 1 or $2

        My tactic is MUCH smarter and focuses on sites built around ads that people would WANT to click on. It's making me good money
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      • Profile picture of the author Boris_yo
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        The $47 click quickly becoming $3 (or less) is something I've
        been preaching to the people who keep creating a frenzy with
        their so-called high paying keyword lists. They don't
        have a clue. People swallow the line, then come here and claim
        google is ripping them off or something.

        Whatever I think of the tool is no matter. The bottom line, is
        if your scenario is true, it's closer to the truth.

        Paul
        I guess we should see these lists once again, but this time using Contextual Targeting Tool.
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      • Profile picture of the author Daedalus
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        The $47 click quickly becoming $3 (or less) is something I've
        been preaching to the people who keep creating a frenzy with
        their so-called high paying keyword lists. They don't
        have a clue. People swallow the line, then come here and claim
        google is ripping them off or something.

        Whatever I think of the tool is no matter. The bottom line, is
        if your scenario is true, it's closer to the truth.

        Paul
        Paul you need to snap out of denial and accept the truth; Google cares about every single John Doe here, that's why they steal our money and penalize our authority websites that deal with topics such as Ethiopian sumo wrestling and ice hockey in Chile. :rolleyes:

        Ontopic: Sounds like a pretty accurate measure, will definitely look into it more.
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        • Profile picture of the author phans
          damn looks like cpc are really low these days :confused:

          even keywords like "buy life assurance" are only paying like 2$ per click :/
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          • Profile picture of the author yukon
            Banned
            Originally Posted by phans View Post

            damn looks like cpc are really low these days :confused:

            even keywords like "buy life assurance" are only paying like 2$ per click :/
            Maybe?

            But If you compare that Adsense click to a CPA offer, it's a lot easier to get a higher percentage of traffic to click the Adsense Ad, since that's the only action required.

            With a "Life Insurance" CPA offer, I doubt you get paid a penny unless the traffic gives up some personal information, by completing a form on the CPA offer.

            I have nothing against CPA, just saying I think it's easier to get clicks on Adsense that require a lot less action from the traffic. I do realize that most CPA insurance offers pay out a lot more than $2, still If nobody is completing the CPA form information, that doesn't do anyone much good.

            Most people I know have no problem clicking on Ad links (Adsense), but they will think twice about giving out any personal info., even email (CPA offer).
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  • Profile picture of the author John Brown
    Here's what is happening for me:

    Keyword #1 actual CPC is averaging $ .33 while the suggested bid claims $ .89
    Keyword #2 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.02
    Keyword #3 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ .79
    Keyword #4 actual CPC is averaging $ .26 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.29

    Keyword # 1,2 are brand new sites about a month old while # 3,4 are a couple years old. Yes the earnings are sad and frustrating, but these are the numbers I'm getting. There are random times where I get $ .90 or $ .80 for # 3 but these are 1/30 odds.

    Can anyone else do a comparison test like this with numbers they're actually getting on Adsense and compare it with this Suggested Bid tool?
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Banks
      Originally Posted by John Brown View Post

      Here's what is happening for me:

      Keyword #1 actual CPC is averaging $ .33 while the suggested bid claims $ .89
      Keyword #2 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.02
      Keyword #3 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ .79
      Keyword #4 actual CPC is averaging $ .26 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.29

      Keyword # 1,2 are brand new sites about a month old while # 3,4 are a couple years old. Yes the earnings are sad and frustrating, but these are the numbers I'm getting. There are random times where I get $ .90 or $ .80 for # 3 but these are 1/30 odds.

      Can anyone else do a comparison test like this with numbers they're actually getting on Adsense and compare it with this Suggested Bid tool?
      I like to target long tail searches within high paying niches, that way I get the easy ranking of long tail, but the nice pay out of competitive industries! Working well so far
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      • Profile picture of the author John Brown
        Originally Posted by Jeremy Banks View Post

        I like to target long tail searches within high paying niches, that way I get the easy ranking of long tail, but the nice pay out of competitive industries! Working well so far
        that's all well and good but for the purpose of this topic are the numbers you are seeing on your actual Adsense CPC matching up with the Suggested Bid of the method he's talking about?
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by John Brown View Post

      Here's what is happening for me:

      Keyword #1 actual CPC is averaging $ .33 while the suggested bid claims $ .89
      Keyword #2 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.02
      Keyword #3 actual CPC is averaging $ .14 while the suggested bid claims $ .79
      Keyword #4 actual CPC is averaging $ .26 while the suggested bid claims $ 1.29

      Keyword # 1,2 are brand new sites about a month old while # 3,4 are a couple years old. Yes the earnings are sad and frustrating, but these are the numbers I'm getting. There are random times where I get $ .90 or $ .80 for # 3 but these are 1/30 odds.

      Can anyone else do a comparison test like this with numbers they're actually getting on Adsense and compare it with this Suggested Bid tool?
      @ John Brown

      Keep a few things in mind:

      The tool will provide a more accurate picture of what you can expect to earn/click in comparison to the standard keyword tool, but there are a few other variables that you need to take into account, and they are:

      • clicks on the ad unit that appears first in your website coding will generate a higher EPC than the other units
      • some advertisers will bid a lower amount than the "suggested bid" and this will result in a lower EPC for you and then there are others who might bid the same amount for the search and the content network (this will result in a higher EPC, but it is usually inexperienced advertisers who do this)
      • visitors to your site who are from a different country will be served ads that are specific to their country and the suggested bid for each country varies
      You can't just take a suggested bid of say $1.00 and assume your actual CPC is going to be 68% of that $1.00. There are many variables that affect each click!

      The "suggested bid" in the "contextual targeting tool" is a rough figure that will give you a more realistic view on what you can earn, and it is more precise than the approximate CPC that is defined in the standard keyword tool.
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  • Profile picture of the author StoneWilson
    Instead of Adwords Keyword Tool, I trust spyfu.com more on biding estimation.
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  • Profile picture of the author blog4all
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by blog4all View Post

      went tro all ur post, i am left behind, i need your help please help me review my blog and send me recommendation, get $0.01 everyday after spending day and night working on my blog. please help me out. cheers
      blog4all-com.blogspot.com
      luking forward to hearing from you
      The problem with your blog is that it is a news blog. While these type of sites can earn a healthy income, the key determining factor is traffic. You will need loads of traffic to earn a respectable income.

      You will need to write on topics that are hot and target keywords that have a decent CPC. The challenge is finding paying keywords that are news related. I personally do not have experience with news blogs, so I can't really offer you the advice you are looking for.

      I can however advise you to optimize your ad placements. Right now your ads are in unfavourable positions. You should have a large rectangular ad unit somewhere above the fold as this is usually the best performing ad.

      Here is a heat map that Google provides that actually provides information on optimal ad placement:
      Where should I place Google ads on my pages? - AdSense Help
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  • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
    What about a case where the Contextual Tool shows a higher CPC than what the Keyword Tool does (i.e. $1.56 Avg CPC on Contextual, but $0.31 Avg CPC on Keyword Tool)?
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

      What about a case where the Contextual Tool shows a higher CPC than what the Keyword Tool does (i.e. $1.56 Avg CPC on Contextual, but $0.31 Avg CPC on Keyword Tool)?
      I haven't come across a situation like this! You can also use SpyFu to cross-check the data but I personally don't like the tool because it isn't all that accurate.

      For the most part, Google's contextual tool has proven to provide a more realistic and accurate CPC.

      This could be a bug or I suspect it might be a case where one or more of the keywords within the group is more competitive than the main keyword. In this case I think Google will adjust the CPC accordingly for the Adwords Advertiser, but that really doesn't help us in any way.
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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        That would be quite possible. Since individual sites can be in a bidding war,
        and many sites are golden, it could in fact skew the bids for the display
        network. But then, your new site will still not get that high of a bid.

        It would be rare, but could certainly happen depending on the niche.

        Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author joeulman
    Great tool.thanks for sharing.it is very useful.
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  • Profile picture of the author InTheMaking
    Well, to post some feedback..

    My one specific website that says it should get 1.40/.68 = atleast 80 cent clicks is only receiving 7 cent clicks so can't follow this too much.
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by InTheMaking View Post

      Well, to post some feedback..

      My one specific website that says it should get 1.40/.68 = atleast 80 cent clicks is only receiving 7 cent clicks so can't follow this too much.
      See reply #17

      There are many variables to take into account... the contextual tool provides the Max. CPC and it is more realistic for research purposes. Those who are experienced with Adsense are aware that Adsense earnings are influenced by various factors.

      I've included a video that may help you get a better understanding on earnings fluctuations.
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  • Profile picture of the author markowe
    Thanks for sharing, I hadn't noticed this. It's still in beta, I see.

    Just checked one recent keyword of mine and this tool shows about 50% of what the KWT showed for CPC, but still double what I am ACTUALLY getting on average

    I am starting to conclude that I really need to get away from those low-volume, supposedly higher-paying keywords. You can kill yourself getting those sites to rank, only to find that not only is the traffic low but the CPC is nowhere near where you had hoped.

    Better to at least go for higher-volume keywords and go for the numbers in case CPC doesn't live up to expectations.

    In any case, I will from now on be dividing KWT CPC by FOUR to get something approaching my expected actual CPC. In other words, projected KWT CPC of much under $4 probably isn't worth going for without good volume.
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    • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
      Originally Posted by markowe View Post

      Thanks for sharing, I hadn't noticed this. It's still in beta, I see.

      Just checked one recent keyword of mine and this tool shows about 50% of what the KWT showed for CPC, but still double what I am ACTUALLY getting on average

      I am starting to conclude that I really need to get away from those low-volume, supposedly higher-paying keywords. You can kill yourself getting those sites to rank, only to find that not only is the traffic low but the CPC is nowhere near where you had hoped.

      Better to at least go for higher-volume keywords and go for the numbers in case CPC doesn't live up to expectations.

      In any case, I will from now on be dividing KWT CPC by FOUR to get something approaching my expected actual CPC. In other words, projected KWT CPC of much under $4 probably isn't worth going for without good volume.
      The contextual tool is far more dependable, but as I stated in other replies and as the video explains - there are many variables that affect the actual CPC.

      I have a few sites that have completely flopped as well, and I'm also pursuing keywords with larger volume now. I've found it is better to add more pages to a site, target related keywords and get those inner pages ranked as this helps increase the return for each site I develop and it is more sustainable.
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  • Profile picture of the author vraadoo
    Many Many Thanks For Your Great Share.It'll help me for my adsense working
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  • Profile picture of the author VoiceOfTruth
    Interesting. It would be helpful if there was a list of the high paying keywords from the "Contextual Targetting Tool"
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnJD
      Fantastic share and very important information to know. It really helped me made my decision on a keyword. Thumbs up!
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      • Profile picture of the author Hud
        Wow. thanks a lot for sharing. I've reevaluated my projects and its a horror scenario, high cpc low traffic keywords, or even high cpc keywords do not seem to exist outside the google serp ad placements themselves where we can not get our share from... I have to rethink my whole strategy.

        So, after looking at some case reports from people comparing their actual cpc's with the ones from the contextual targeting tool, it seems like we can take the CTT's estimate, divide it by 4, and get a pretty much accurate worst case szenario estimate?

        Maybe more people could compare their real cpc with the one from CTT and share their findings?

        P.S.: I can't understand why this thread has so few replies, its the most important factor yet for adsense publishers - maybe many do not want to be robbed of their illusions?
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        • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
          Originally Posted by Hud View Post

          Wow. thanks a lot for sharing. I've reevaluated my projects and its a horror scenario, high cpc low traffic keywords, or even high cpc keywords do not seem to exist outside the google serp ad placements themselves where we can not get our share from... I have to rethink my whole strategy.
          There is one method for you to still get your share from the ads in the SERPs and that is by using the "ads for search" custom toolbar on your site. But it works best for bigger, authority type sites.

          Originally Posted by Hud View Post

          P.S.: I can't understand why this thread has so few replies, its the most important factor yet for adsense publishers - maybe many do not want to be robbed of their illusions?
          It amazes me how many people do not understand anything about Adsense, yet they are Adsense publishers. Adsense is all about the numbers!
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        • Profile picture of the author grexley
          Originally Posted by Hud View Post

          Maybe more people could compare their real cpc with the one from CTT and share their findings?
          On my best adsense site, I see a CPC that is 47% of what my main keyword is listed on in the contextual tool. To be fair though, that doesn't mean that google is using that keyword to deliver ads.

          Originally Posted by Hud View Post

          P.S.: I can't understand why this thread has so few replies, its the most important factor yet for adsense publishers - maybe many do not want to be robbed of their illusions?
          Some of it may be self delusion. But this is also starting to reach a level of complication that weeds out a lot of people.
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  • Profile picture of the author simonbuzz
    Banned
    wow man thanks for sharing this awesome info....
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    • Profile picture of the author Hud
      Evla8 - I have to admit, I am just starting to understand that myself... I always knew the more articles the better, but with that high cpc idea in the back of my head I thought, "hey I don't need that many articles to have a nice income! But now, with "cpc reality" in mind, it becomes clear that if one wants to be successful with adsense, there is a need for a lot of articles with a reasonable cpc of 1-2$ (won't get much more for 99,9 of the keywords anyways) and low serp competition with high enough traffic keywords, so you don't have to spend all month doing seo for a few articles, not to mention a lot of them... I am already adjusting my strategy to the facts. Its still a great way to get an insane passive income...
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      • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
        Originally Posted by Hud View Post

        Evla8 - I have to admit, I am just starting to understand that myself... I always knew the more articles the better, but with that high cpc idea in the back of my head I thought, "hey I don't need that many articles to have a nice income! But now, with "cpc reality" in mind, it becomes clear that if one wants to be successful with adsense, there is a need for a lot of articles with a reasonable cpc of 1-2$ (won't get much more for 99,9 of the keywords anyways) and low serp competition with high enough traffic keywords, so you don't have to spend all month doing seo for a few articles, not to mention a lot of them... I am already adjusting my strategy to the facts. Its still a great way to get an insane passive income...
        Yeah, I love Adsense income but I do have other income streams as well, just to ensure I don't place all my eggs in one basket.

        My advice for you or anyone for that matter is to build authority type sites that are content rich. You can build the smaller sites as well to boost your income but your main focus should be on building bigger sites. When a site becomes an authority and it increases in PR it ranks for long-tail keywords naturally and new content that is added ranks without much SEO work.
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        • Profile picture of the author Hud
          I agree, building authority sites is already my main aim, but I made the mistake to buy "almost" EMD's instead of brandable names because I aimed for some high cpc keywords... now that is annoying :/ bandable names are so much better in the long run and look less spammy I guess...
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  • Profile picture of the author eusof.com
    Thanks for debunking the theory and demystifying those wso sellers on high CPC adsense earnings.
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  • Profile picture of the author Teleologist
    I need some help understanding the Contextual Targeting Tool. While it is true that if you take those $10 and $20 keywords from the keyword tool and run them through the Contextual Targeting Tool you will get way lower numbers but it is also true that if you run those 10 cent and 20 cent keywords from the keyword tool through the Contextual Targeting Tool that you will often get much higher numbers. For example, the keyword "who invented gunpowder" has a cpc of 14 cents according to the keyword tool but the Contextual Targeting Tool shows it to be $2.34. But when I check sites that target this keyword I find no adsense ads on them. And this makes sense as I doubt the Keyword "who invented gunpowder" has an actual value of $2.34. I know much better keywords that go for less than a dollar. and I have run into dozens of such examples. So what gives? Is the Contextual Targeting Tool very inaccurate or am I misunderstanding something here?
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    • Profile picture of the author mrgood
      Thank you for this tip. Very good !
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      • Profile picture of the author Raw Guava
        Fantastic information, beats using any long winded formulas and second guessing. Thumbs up
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        • Profile picture of the author Lukas
          But this has been known. Why are the majority of publishers experiencing CPC drops of 50 to 70% on long-time high paying niches?
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          • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
            Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

            But this has been known. Why are the majority of publishers experiencing CPC drops of 50 to 70% on long-time high paying niches?
            I would say it is because Google are now placing emphasis on educating Adwords advertisers on how best to use the display network. With the addition of tools like this one it means many advertisers will not just bid the same amount for the search and display network.

            The drop in CPC probably equates to a more informed advertiser.
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            • Profile picture of the author Lukas
              So they are more informed across the board? It seems to have to do with Panda (after July) for others, including me. Traffic is the same as are the clicks. Lower bids eventually means lower profit for Google.

              The display network is for image/banner advertising (correct?) but when most publishers pick search or text based ads, CPC is still down by 75% or more on high paying topics, and it is suddenly. Surely, these decreases in publisher CPC is not because ALL of the advertisers in various niches became a lot more knowledgeable in 1 month. We all know real estate, car insurance, cosmetic surgery are not 50cent words when they used to be 3$ or more clicks just a few months ago for years. It seems like a slap across the entire Adsense account for this to happen to people. Advertisers get to pick which sites to put an ad on but publishers cannot say yes or no? It is allowed on many other platforms. At least, allow the publisher the ability to say no to a blog or MFA arbitrage site.
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              • Profile picture of the author IM Ash
                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                So they are more informed across the board? It seems to have to do with Panda (after July) for others, including me. Traffic is the same as are the clicks.
                My CPC has remained constant after Panda and I really do not believe an update that was focused on returning quality sites in the SERPs will affect anyone's Adsense income. There are various factors that affect CPC and an informed advertiser is just one of many.

                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                Lower bids eventually means lower profit for Google.
                Not necessarily: lower bids on the display network will ensure more advertisers use the display network. I have used Adwords in the past and I know how quickly my budget was eaten up when I chose to use the display network and that is why I only advertised on the search network.

                By educating advertisers how to use the display network, Google will attract more advertisers to utilizing the display network and they will retain many of them because these advertisers will not lose their shirt after one campaign.

                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                The display network is for image/banner advertising (correct?)
                No, the display network includes your site and Google's other properties like Gmail.

                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                ... but when most publishers pick search or text based ads, CPC is still down by 75% or more on high paying topics, and it is suddenly. Surely, these decreases in publisher CPC is not because ALL of the advertisers in various niches became a lot more knowledgeable in 1 month.
                You can't really judge what an Advertiser is bidding because it is only Google and the Advertiser who will know this. From your drop in CPC you can assume that the Advertisers are bidding lower for ads on the display network (your site) and/or there are less advertisers bidding on a specific keyword which lowers competition and drives down the bid price.

                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                We all know real estate, car insurance, cosmetic surgery are not 50cent words when they used to be 3$ or more clicks just a few months ago for years.
                I have sites in these niches and my CPC has remained constant after Panda. You need to check the CPC using the contextual tool that was explained in the opening post and that will give you a reflection of what advertisers are bidding for keywords on your site.

                Originally Posted by Lukas View Post

                It seems like a slap across the entire Adsense account for this to happen to people. Advertisers get to pick which sites to put an ad on but publishers cannot say yes or no? It is allowed on many other platforms. At least, allow the publisher the ability to say no to a blog or MFA arbitrage site.
                You can block advertisers within the Adsense interface... I have blocked many sites which usually include sites like groupon and the like.
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                • Profile picture of the author scruffy77
                  thanks for this post, always want to know more about adsense
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  • Profile picture of the author Markony
    Thanks for this !!!
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  • Profile picture of the author ethanhunt0257
    Thanks a lot for this. Can you provide me that local marketing cpc cost more or ppc which is good for quick results.
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  • Profile picture of the author SootedNinjas
    In GKT, the column "competition" is about Adwords competition. Right ?

    Would that metric only apply to the search network or can be applied to the CTT network ?
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  • Profile picture of the author outwest
    Ok so are you saying you tested this, and if the contextual tool says $5. you should be making $3 or so per click or is that just the Highest amount

    Is there any way to determine lets say take the contextual tool number and multiply it times x % and that will give you the avg dollar per click? for the CPC

    obviously the 60% or whatever is not accurate right? since thats the highest bid?
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by outwest View Post

      Ok so are you saying you tested this, and if the contextual tool says $5. you should be making $3 or so per click or is that just the Highest amount

      Is there any way to determine lets say take the contextual tool number and multiply it times x % and that will give you the avg dollar per click? for the CPC

      obviously the 60% or whatever is not accurate right? since thats the highest bid?
      Like the video said that OP posted, other factors play a role in the Adwords auction before the Adsense Ad is displayed on your site/page.

      The contextual tool is a realistic ballpark number for Adsense clicks/earnings, unlike the GKT (Google Keyword Tool).

      The GKT is still useful for other data, besides the $$ amount column.
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      • Profile picture of the author SootedNinjas
        Originally Posted by yukon View Post

        Like the video said that OP posted, other factors play a role in the Adwords auction before the Adsense Ad is displayed on your site/page.

        The contextual tool is a realistic ballpark number for Adsense clicks/earnings, unlike the GKT (Google Keyword Tool).

        The GKT is still useful for other data, besides the $$ amount column.
        The CPC in the GAKT is for the search network.
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  • Profile picture of the author RatRaceWatch
    Fantastic information, it's learning one step at a time, from making the mistake of broad search to learning to search by exact search. Haha, so much for that $36 keyword I targeted with one of my sites, learn something new everyday.
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  • Profile picture of the author RatRaceWatch
    The only thing I'm noticing that is concerning me, was I was updating the CPC for my keywords, I have a list I keep updated, and I noticed although a keyword that was $36 is coming up through this tool as $3, I'm noticing a lot of my keywords that were $.10 $1 etc. are all coming up around $3-4.

    Now I'm concerned that if I think those .10 keywords are $3 keywords, that may change my strategy, but I want to be for sure.

    Is there anyone noticing this also, I think someone mentioned earlier in this thread seeing it come up higher for much lower CPC, the original way you looked it up on google keywords.
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  • Profile picture of the author dagaul101
    Nice tip, anything that helps publishers fine tune on keywords that would profit them is to be encouraged
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  • Profile picture of the author ElMundodelExito
    If I put a article in my site about "Insurance" (example) and send a email to my list about the article and they go an click in the ads, would I be getting pay $2 per click even though most of my ads pay me now only .10 cents??
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  • Profile picture of the author MattinSD
    Thanks for posting this. I discovered the Contextual Targeting Tool thanks to another Warrior a couple of months ago and it has made a tremendous difference. If you take 68% of the CPC shown for your keywords here, you'll probably see that it is extremely close to your site's actual EPC.

    On the other hand, if there is no CPC listed for your site's primary keywords (this was the case with a couple of my poor-performing sites) that will explain why you're getting $0.20 clicks or lower - there aren't enough advertisers to establish a historical baseline. No advertisers obviously spells doom for MFA sites.

    I wish I had known about this when I started. It would've saved me hours and hours of wasted work on failed sites. Thanks again for the post!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jerome15
    it's good to read this one, i was doing KW research then i found this thread. thanks for the share
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